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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fall — the season
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — to bend
  8. net — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com